Educator Licensure

Reciprocity License

Five Year Reciprocity License

A five year license is granted to applicants who hold a valid standard out-of-state license (K-12) in an area in which Mississippi issues an endorsement.

In the 2011 state legislative session, House Bill 641 changed the state statute for Reciprocity applicants. Now, Section 37-3-2 (8)(a) states: The department shall grant a standard license to any individual who possesses a valid standard license from another state and meets minimum Mississippi license requirements or equivalent requirements as determined by the State Board of Education. The Office of Educator Licensure will implement this new statute with applications submitted after June 30, 2011.

Original valid out-of-state license.(Due to falsifications, we can no longer accept photocopies.Your out-of-state license will be returned to you)

Sealed copy of all college transcripts.

Documentation must be provided to show a passing score on a core subject test required for certification by the issuing state, or documentation that verifies the out-of-state license was obtained in a manner equivalent with current Mississippi license guidelines for that license.

Two Year Reciprocity License

Any applicant with a valid, standard license (excluding provisional, emergency, and non-renewable licenses) from another state who has not met minimum certification requirements for MS certification may apply for a two year educator license through reciprocity.

Original valid out-of-state license.(Due to falsifications, we can no longer accept photocopies.Your out-of-state license will be returned to you)

Sealed copy of all college transcripts.

A two-year Reciprocity license is non-renewable. It is only issued on the bachelor level. To convert this provisional license to a five year renewable license, the applicant must meet all requirements for a five year license in Mississippi. (See guidelines)

Educator Licensure Policy change: International

The Office of Educator Licensure will no longer approve educator licensure applications for individuals seeking certification via international reciprocity. The MS Department of Education will honor all current, valid MS licenses obtained through international reciprocity prior to this date. However, all who request renewal of such license must meet current certification requirements at that time.